Fastening device



Dec. 11, 1951 c. H. Juno FASTENING DEVICE Filed DeC. 19, 1945 D. m. u. mn ww I U 1 D md. W -2f Q2 ,WH g, a ||||1| L m z//L b -um L 7 b "Mam uM R /..1 /IN M. JM 44% CW@ 1P- .4 -L Mlmln? HHIH 2 a I llllzz .i 3 i -um a 7 l. m, H- 3 L 2 f. .A2 3 Il ull 1w 4 www H Why 1 )7. 2 MVV. f 2 u Ml. \I Il. -6V lr 3 @nl n M H 0 2\.||Hl WIN/w M ZHI. l M

fori the same;- and Fig.y 'r is an end e Ilvie-w ofthe U-shaped strap.

Patented Dec. 11 1951 Gharles.; H.. Judd;l Gleveland; @hlmA assignorfv to; Tinnerman Productsihlnc., Cleveland, (.bhio,v a

corporatitmiofl Ohio Application-December 19, P345, Serial No; 635,983

3i Claims. (01:,.241--243l` This invention` relates to., fastening. devices; and

,panticularlyto, sheet Ametal devices; for clam-ping .or ship., for. example,l which hasv alreadyv been built. A- common formiofI support .for cable and pipe,y whichA is at present invv use, comprisesA a hanger in. thefor-m of a steel channelA having v depending; flanges; to-providestiifness and. having aalongitudinal. slot in theweb. Ilhe cable orl pipe is. laid across` the web vof theYA channel; andl is clamped thereto. byy means l of a. ushapedl strap, and; the;- free.- ends. of whichf project. through the slot in the web and are pulled tightby somevform of tensioning device.,

Where articles havebeenclamped to pipe standards,V U-shaped straps havefheretofore been i usedf in. conjunction. with someforme` of tensioning device which bears'r against the article and forcesA` it againstthe pipe by, pullingv on,the.-free ends ofv the strap.

Since, in the methodhere.consideredoi clamping, a. cable or pipe tov a supporathe free ends ofthell-shaped strap areinsertedthrough a. slot in the support,y it is. desirable toV have. a. separable tensioning device which willengagev the, ends of thev strap after their insertionh asA distinguished from fastening means integral withfhe. ends of thestrap themselves. Heretoforetensioning de;- vices for this purpose have been subjectgto various disadvantages. One type of device comprised a number of pieces which individually performed lthe separate functions required in the operations.

As is usual in such a case, much inconvenience is experienced in use ofthe device. Anothertype, although unitary`A in form; was so arranged' that Vadequate strengthcould" be secured4v only by the useof' uneconomically stiff and heavy material.

An -object off the present invention, therefore, is to provide a tensioning device for this purpose which may be. economically stamped from a vsingle piece of sheet metal, and which will. peris; a side elevation of a supportwith the; fasten- 1 ing device of this invention inept-:ration` thereon; Eig. 2 is a bottom plan View of the same;l Fig. 3 isi a transverse section taken on the, line. 3 3 of 1; Fig. 4 isY a fragmentary perspective view, partlyl bro-ken away; illustrating the interrelationship of;` the. various elements o f the device; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the top of 'thedevicej Fig. 6 is a bottom perspective, view gevat-ional .While the fastening deviceV of my invention vmaybe. used` conjunction. with manyv types: of supports,- I have illustrated,v a specic embodiment in the. drawings which is designed'` to. cooperate with thesupport there shown. Thesupport or hanger lili comprisesV a` steel channel carried? hvy suitable brackets.. H. To provide, a horizontal support the brackets may. be secured to the underside of a floor orl deck, orto provide a vertical? support they. may be secured to a Wall oit-bulkhead'. The channel comprises a web l.2`/and:depending flanges: I3; The pipesor cables lliwhich are to be supported restv upon the web I2., and; arer clamped; thereto. The Ufshaped bandi t5, three sizes ofwhich are illustratedin Figs. 1 and. 2 at l5', lea and lib is usedr tohold the cable or pipe rmly upon the support. A longitudinalV slot I6. is formed in the web otthe channel through which the free ends: of the handmay project, enabling the band tobe drawn downwardly with respect to the support, and also preventing longitudinal' shifting ofthe band valong-the cable` or pipe.

All of the parts referred to in the preceding paragraph are admittedl to be old, andl my.' invention resides solelyl in a device by means of which the ends of' the band are tensioned with respect tothe cable or support. The tensioning or fastening device comprises a strip of sheet metal` bent intermediately to form two arms 2=l andA 22- andA a connection portion 23. The upper arm 2|, as* viewed in the drawings, is adapted to bridgeA the slot in theweb 0f thechannelv and to have a substantial area of4 contact withthe material at either side of the slot. The lower arm 22 is provided with lateral extensions 24 adapted to be projected through openings 25 in therendsof'- the band. The endsV of" the extensions arepreierably'bent as at 26 in a downward direction, resulting in'hook formations for the better retention of' the band ends.

The transverse dimension of the arm 22 is preferably substantially the same as the diameter or the article to be clamped, so that the arms of the bandmay'be pulled substantially vertically. Thus, fork the usual small diameters ofv cables and pipes, the fastener may be, so designed that 'its two arms are of the same width, for economy in manufacture. This relationship is illustrated by-therfastenersZ and 20h (Figs. 1- and 2). For the clamping oiT larger cables or other articles the fastener may be designed as illustrated at 20a, theV lower arm- 22a being extended, commensurate with the-size ofthe article, to a width substantially# greater than that of= the upper arm 'Ma..V It will be understood that the upper arm l'neeelfbe onlvwlde enough to provide a i-rin bridge across-theslot. 1

In the application of` the fastener, rela-tite 'movement ofy the arms is contemplated, necessi'- to thelocalized points of pressure.

' 3 tating a bending action at the connecting portion 23. To localize this bending action and thus preserveftli'e 'fiatness of the arms, *'I prefer to reduce the width of the connecting portion below that of either arm, as illustrated in the drawings, thus reducing its stiffness. The device is intended to bear against th lower face of the web and to pull downwardly upon the band by a forcible separation of the two arms. The separationis accomplished by means of a screw 30 which threadingly engages the lower arm and bears against the upper arm. By the turning of the screw in the proper direction the lower arm 22 is forced downwardly, and,

because of its engagement with the ends of the band, the latter is clamped tightly upon the arti- `c1e. I find it convenient and preferable to provide the thread-engaging means in the form of a sheet metal nut. To this end, an aperture is formed centrally of the lower arm and the material at either side of the opening is struck from -the plane of the arm to provide tongues 3|, the

ends of which engage the thread of the screw. Such formation provides its own locking action inasmuch as the tongues are strained toward their original position in the plane of the arm when the device is in operation. This results in the mutual approach of the ends of the tongues, and, therefore, in a secure clamping action upon Athe screw. I secure this result by striking the tongues upwardly, that is, in a direction toward the other arm.

A depression 32 is preferably made in the upper arm, in registration with the aperture of the lower arm, to provide a locating socket for the end of the screw. This results in a positive action of the fastener as the screw is at all times maintained in a vertical position, without needingto be secured to the upper arm in any more positive and costly manner.

Substantial strains are set up in the arms due This would normally indicate the use of a heavy gauge of metal, but I have found that a thinner and more economical stock may be utilized by the provision of appropriately placed stiffening ribs. The screw 30 bears against a point of the upper arm subtion. Where the width of the arm is increased,

however, as at 22 and 22a, I have found that a circular rib, as at 36, surrounding the aperture and the spring tongues effectively prevents deformation of the arm. In the case of an extended width, as illustrated at 22a, additional stiffness may be provided by transverse ribs 31.

.- Briefly, the operation of the devicel is as follows: AThe pipe or cable to be clamped is placed across the support-and an appropriately sized -U-shaped strap is placed thereover with its ends projecting downwardly through the slot in the support. Afastening device, of an appropriate size, embodying my invention is then placed against the lower surface of the web and the ends of the strap are sprung over the lateral extensions of the lower arm. In the normal,

iinstressed condition of the device the spacing between the arms is small enough toY allow the .deviceto be easily inserted into position. Bythe simple application of a screw driver the screw gthe supportandthe lower arm is in engagement with the'strap, the upper region of the strap is, by this operation, drawn toward the support and i ilrmly clamps the pipe or cable to it. The parts are all placed in a tensioned condition by this operation and thescrew is rmly locked against inadvertent rotation. Thus, it will be apparent that by means ofrmy fastening device the clamping of the article to the support may be accomplished with, rapidity and ease and that, since it is a unitary device, no complications are encountered due to a multiplicity of parts.

While I have illustrated a specific embodiment of my fastening device, numerous changes may be made within the spirit and scope of the in vention.

i. A fastening device comprising a resilient strip bent intermediately to provide two arms extending in the same general direction, an aperture in one arm, threadengagement means integral with the said one arm adjacent the aperture and extending toward the other arm, and lateral extensions projecting from opposite edges of the said one arm having end portions projecting out of the plane thereof away from the other arm for hooking engagement with an article to be moved relative to the other arm, by a screw extending through the aperture and engaging said means and the said other arm.

2. A fastening device for i a U-shaped loop adapted to embrace an article to be clamped, said device comprising a sheet metal strip bent intermediately to provide two arms extending in the same general direction, an aperture in one arm, thread engagement means on said one arm adjacent the aperture therein, lateral extensions projecting from the opposite edges of said one arm and formed for engagement with the arms of the loop, and a screw extending through the aperture and threaded in said thread engagement means and engaging said other arm.

3. A fastening device comprising a strip bent intermediately to provide two arms extending in the same general direction and connected by a resilient return bend, an aperture in one arm, thread-engaging means integral with said one arm adjacent the aperture, lateral extensions projecting in opposite directions from opposite edges of said one arm, and a screw extending through said aperture in threaded engagement with the thread-engaging means and of a length sufficient to have its point engage the other arm.

CHARLES H. JUDD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

" UNITED' STATES lPATENTS j A baltes 

